Description
Book SynopsisRestrictively more than most, the collective image of Black women’s identities are created by others. The glamorized life of Black women with light skin and its presumed likeness to whiteness has caused division within the Black community for years. Most often written and spoken of is the victimization of darker hue women due to their skin tone. This thoughtful book explores colorism, which is a form of internalized racism, from the perspective of a light skinned Black woman. By examining the social construction of race through the lens of Black Feminist Thought and Critical Race Theory the author uncovers a different narrative of colorism.
Intimate accounts of skin tone stratification from her own lived experience are shared as she engages in self-awareness throughout the entire book. A critical perspective of popular culture in movies, offers insight into the origination of inscribed identifies of Black women. The traditional roles of mammy, sapphire and jezebel are examined to further illustrate the perpetuation of colorism.
The context of this work should be understood as groundbreaking to the field of colorism.
Trade ReviewIn Double Dutching In My Own Skin: A Soulful Narrative on Colorism, Dr. LaWanda Simpkins takes us on a powerful, storied journey through her lived experience as a light-skinned Black woman. From her lens - one often considered one of color privilege - she asks the important question, "Can a person be privileged for the same identity that they are oppressed for?" and gets our heads spinning in search of the answer. This thought-provoking autoethnographic exploration is empowering, sincere, brilliant, and a necessary contribution to the Colorism lexicon. —Dawn N. Hicks Tafari, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education, Winston-Salem State University Author of “Whose World is This?”: A Composite Counterstory of Black Male Elementary School Teachers as Hip-Hop Otherfathers
This represents an important contribution to understanding the intersectionality of intra-racial gender norming and skin tone interpersonal appraisals as ingredients for adverse black-on-black interaction. The author’s auto-ethnographic contribution thoroughly delivered the nature of a Black Woman’s war within. It is extremely rare to advance discussions of colorism beyond the ”halo-effect” to discover intrasexual social conflict. Kudos to the author for the courage to delve into the painful reality of intra-racial and gendered skin tone victimization. —Dr. Steven R. Cureton, Professor and Chair of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Sociology Department
Table of ContentsI. JUMP IN - DOWN WITH FRAGILE ROCK: FRECKLES, RED HAIR,
AND STONES
Where it all started
Doing the Work
Goals
II. JUMP OUT- THERE’S NOBODY NEW UNDER THE SUN
Race
Biological Origins
Time Over view
Critical Race Theory
Racism
Internalized Racism
Colorism
Early stages of Colorism
Passing
Too Light - Too Dark
Which Black is Beautiful
Family
Conclusion
III. JUMP IN- SKIN TONE AND ATTITUDE: COLOR STRATIFICATION
AMONGST BLACK ACTRESSES
Film Industry
Mammy, Sapphire, Jezebel
Mammy
Sapphire
Jezebel
Trinary Thinking
Stereotypes and Reality
School Daze
IV. LIGHT-SKIN, NATURAL HAIR, I DO CARE: JOURNALING
THROUGH FEELINGS ON COLORISM
Wanting to Be Like Mommy
Why Would I do This To my Kids?
Not Wanting to be an AKA
Even Tanning Can’t Take the Pain Away
Proving my Blackness
She is a REAL Sistah
They Like Him Better
Hash Tag- Team Light-skin
V. JUMP IN- YOU CAN’T STAY IN THE PAST SO HOW DO WE MOVE
FORWARD: EDUCATION AS A FORM OF LIBERATION
My Muse
Liberation through Education
Culturally Relevant Classrooms
Media Responsibility
Intergroup Dialogue
Critical Hope
BIBLIOGRAPHY
